Gun mounting for submarines



June 23, 1925. 1,542,969

' L. Y. SPEAR GUN MOUNTING lFOR S'UBMANINES Filed June 4. 1925 Patented June 23, 1925.

TUNQETED STATES massa earssr' assise. l

LAWRENCE Y. SPEAK, F NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOE TO ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY, OIE NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CGREOEATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GUN MOUNTING FOR SU'.RELA'EJIDII'LES.k

Application filed A.Tune 4, 1923.` Serial No. 643,161.

To all wwm it may concern: j

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE Y. SPEAK,

a citizen of the'United States, residing at New London, in the county of New London,

State of Connecticut, have invented certain newV and useful Improvements in Gun Mount-'ings for Submarines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventionsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

4 This invention relates to gun mountings for submarines, the principal object being to provide a mounting such that the gun may be trained and operated with maximum effiincreased by ciency while the ventire submarine, with the exception of the conning tower, is submerged. In general, this object is accomplished by providing a non-recoil gun on the conning tower, and mounting the gun so that it may be raised or lowered as desired. `rlhis invention makes it possible to use a larger gun than is commonly employed, and the effectiveness of the submarine is greatly virtue of the 'increased height of. the gun above lthe deck.

The ordinary practice in mounting a gun on a submarine, is to place the gun on the deck in front of the conning tower. When the gun is in use, the upper portion of the submarinemust be exposed in order to make it possible to reload the gun from the deck and to raise the gun'above the surface of the water to the required height. Furthermore,

5 it is practically impossible to reload the ordinary deck gun when the weather is rough. It is thus apparent that the ordinary practice ofmounting a standard gun on the deck of a submarine is open to a` number of objections, the most important of which are the relatively large area exposed to vertical and horizontal fire due to the fact that the conning tower and a largeportion of the deck are exposed when the submarine is in the firing position; the considerable time required to pass from submerged to firing position and from firing to submerged position, due to the fact that a large part of the submarine must be raised above the water or submerged as the case may be; and the limited heightto which the 4gun maybe raised above the water level. Owing to the weight and recoil of the standard guns usually employed, it is not possible to mount such a gun very far above the deck.-

I have found that the disadvantages of the :di

ordinary gun-mounting 'for submarines may be entirely avoided by employing a non-re coil gun and mounting it onV the conning tower in such a manner that the gun may be raised and lowered as desired. By using a non-recoil gun of any suitable type, it is possible to mountv the gun at considerable distance above the deck 'o f the submarine wit-hout subjecting t-he gun-support and associated parts toexcessive stresses when the gun is ired. Therefore, I prefer to mount the gun on the conning tower or on the top of a water-tight trunk, andto provide means whereby the gun may be kraised considerably above the top of the conning tower.l lVith the gun mounted in this manner, it is possible to raise the gun approximately twice as high as the maximum elevation or height of the ordinary deck gun, without exposing to gun fire any greater portion of the submarine; and it is possible to operate the gun at the usual elevation above the water without vexposing any part of the submarine except the conning tower.

The various objects and advantages of this invention will be. apparent upon considering the following detailed description, which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in4 which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of a! sub-marine conning tower provided with the improved gun-mounting; Y

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the submarine conning tower shown in Fig. 1.

In Figs. l andQ. of the drawing, l indicates the deck Aof a submarine and 2 the conning tower surmounted by the spray shield 3. The clearing lines 4 extend length.-

wise of the submarine above the spray shield tower, except'when such devices are raised to their uppermost positions.

A non-recoil gun 6 having a reaction or recoil compensating device l2 thereon is mounted on the conning tower. `This gun may be any suitable type of non-recoil gun which automatically compensates, to a greater or less degree, for .the reaction caused by the firing of the projectile. Other things being equal, the'most satisfactory type ot' non-recoil gun Vis that which neutralizes the reaction of the projectile to the greatest degree. The type of non-recoil gun shown in the accompanying drawing and' which I prefer to employ is that type of gun which does not Vhave to be withdrawn into a watertight compartment when the vessel is sub- .merged. The preferred embodiment of my invention' contemplates the use rofan exposed non-recoil gun, as distinguished from a gun wholely or partially stored within a water-tight compartment except when in 'its firing position. y

` I preferto employ a pneumatic hoist 7' forl raising and loweringthe gun. The drawing showsa diagrammatic representation of a pneumatichoist comprising a well or casing 8 and a'plunger 9 adapted to' telescope within the casing. The plunger 9 may be raised or lowered by regulating the any well-known ,mannery supply of compressed air to the casing 8 in The plunger 9 carries a gun support 10, shown in the form ofa yoke, which carries the trunnions 11 of Arplatform or bench 13 is provided on the plunger 9 near the gun supportlO, and serves as a support for the gunner when he reloads the gun., VThe platform 13 is preferably fixed tothe 'support10' so as to rotate with the gun when it isfturnedrabout the vertical axis through its support. This als turning operation may be performed by the gunner on the platform. 13 in any convenient manner, as by mea-n's'of ai hand wheel 14C.V The platform may be providedV with an extension 15 enabling the gunnerV to stand Aback of the gun when reloading' it.

The ammunitionmay be raised to the top Y Vrof the conning tower 2 by means of an ammunition hoist 16.k As shown in the drawing, this hoistr mayI consist' of an Vinclined tube containinga chain orv other suitable conveyer 17 operated Vby any convenient means, such as the motor '18; The ammunition is placed in the lower end of the tube and the conveyer 17 carries it to the top of the tube where it displaces a hinged cover 19 and is discharged onto the .top of the conning tower. The ammunition may be temporarily stored in vconvenient receptacles 20, ready to be handed tothe gunner on the platform 13.A The platform 133s preferably provided with a number of openyings 21 which receive the shells 22 on the conning tower when the gun 6 and platform l spray shield not only protects the'platfor'mk 13, but it alsoservresas aV faiiwater for the gun in its lowered position as well as Vfor the compass binnacle, periscope supports,Y

and such other fittingsor appliances as mayy 'Y I be necessarily or conveniently located above the top of tlieconning tower. The ammunition rmay readily be suppliedfto the platform13, and the gunpmay be reloaded in 'Y the most efficient manner.

The importance of 'having the non-recoil gun mounted on the conning tower Vand having means for raising this gun highV above Vthe clearing lines. is apparent Vwhen considerationris given to the fact thata submarine, vprovided with suchl Va g'u'n- .f f

mounting, may be passed from submerged to firing position in approximately one-thirty-V v'fifth of the time required to raise a submarine,4 equipped Vwith an ordinary deck 'l gun, from submerged toV firing position.,

Furthermore, by vmeans yof, thisA invention, the gun may be raised to theY usual elevationy above the water without exposing any por-V tion kof theV submarine except the conning 'I tower and, if itis so desired, this tower Y may ybe', armored. Ylhen a submarine eqiiipperlwvith an ordinary decl; gunis in its firing position; the greater portion of the `deck and vall 'of the conning tower `"must be exposed Ato gun fire'. 'Y It is to V'be .understood thatv this invention isnot limited VVto the particular embodiment herein described, and shown diagrammatically inV the drawings, Vbut includes such ,modifications'as' fall 'within thescope ofthe appended claims. While I' preferito construct tlie spray shield3 so that Yit extends well above the top of the conningtower to AprotectY the platform' 13 and associated.

parts, especially when the `gun and platform are in their lowered position, and to form a fair-water for reducing the resistance of the lowered gun -fto Va negligible quantity; yet this feature,as.well as various other features of the invention may be varied, or in some Vinstances Veven eliminated, without departing from the scope of the invention.`

' I claim: Y Y -1. VThe gun mounting for submarines, coml prising the combination with the conning tower of a submarine, of an exposed gunV supported 'by the conning tower above the deck of the submarine, said gun having means associated therewith for neutralizing Asubstantially all of the reaction due to firing a projectile from the'gun, whereby the conning tower is not subjected to the greater part of the'force of reaction o-f the gun.

2. The 'gun mounting for submarines,

comprisingY the combination with the conning towerof 'a submarine, of an exposed iin gun supported by and arranged above the conning tower, said gun havingmeans associated therewith for neutralizing substantially all of the reaction due to firing a projectile from the gun, whereby the conning tower is not subjected to the greater part of the force of reaction of the gun.

'3. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with the conning tower of a submarine, of an exposed gun arranged above the cunning tower, and means for raising or lowering said gun, said gun having means associated therewith for neutralizing substantially all of the reaction due to firing a projectile from the gun, whereby the conning tower is not subjected to the greater part of the force of reaction of the gun.

l. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with the conning tower of a submarine, of a non-recoil gun associated with the conning tower, means for raising the gun above the top of the conning tower, and means for supplying ammunition to the top of the conning tower.

5. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with the conning tower of a submarine, of a non-recoil gun associated with the conning tower, means associated with the conning tower for raising the gun above the top o-f the conning tower, a platform fixed with respect to the gun, and means for rotating the gun and platform about a substantially vertical axis.

6. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with the conning tower of a submarine, of a gun arranged above the top of the conning tower, hoisting means associated with the conning tower for raising and lowering the gun, means for hoisting ammunition to the top of the conning tower, and a platform arranged above the top of the conning tower and fixed with respect to the gun.

7. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with the conning tower of a submarine, of a gun arranged above the top of the conning tower, means extending through the top o-f the conning tower for raising and lowering the gun, a platform adapted to be raised and lowered with said gun, means operable from said platform for training said gun, and means for supplying ammunition to the top of the conning tower, said gun having means associated therewith for neutralizing substantially all of the reaction due to firing a projectile from the gun, whereby the conning tower is not subjected to the greater part of the force of reaction of the gun.

8. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with the conning tower of a submarine, of a gun associated with the conning tower, a gun support rotatably mounted on said conning tower, pneumatic meanslfor raising and Vcomprising the combination with .the Vconning tower of a submarine, of a non-recoil gun associated with the conning tower, a gun support rotatably mounted on said conning tower, means for raising and lowering said support, and a platform fixed to said support and having a plurality of openings for receiving ammunition when said support is lowered.

10. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with the conning tower of a submarine, of a gun associated with and arranged above the conning tower, means for raising and lowering said gun, and a spray shield extending well above the conning tower to form a fair'- water for the gun when it is in its lowered position.

11. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with the conning tower of a submarine, of a gun associated with and arranged above the conning tower, means for raising and lowerino' said gun, a platform associated with said gun, and a spray shield Aextending well above the conning tower to form a fairwater fo-r the gun when it is inits lowered position, and to form a shelter for said platform.

12. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with a watertight support extending well above the deck of th-e submarine, of an exposed gun mounted on said support, said gun having means associated therewith for neutralizingV substantially all of the reaction due to liring a projectile from, the gun, whereby said support is not subjected to the greaterl part of the force of reaction of the gun.

13. rllhe gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with the con-v `ning tower of a submarine, of a gun arranged above the top of the conning tower, means for raising and lowering the gun, a platform adapted to be raised and lowered with said gun, means operable from said platform for training said gun, and means for supplying ammunition to the top of the conning tower, said gun having means associated therewith for neutralizing substantially all of the reaction due to firing a projectile from the gun, whereby the conning tower is not subjected to the greater part of the force of reaction of the gun.

14. The gun mounting for submarines, comprising the combination with a water- 4: f A Y 1,542,969

tight support extending above the, deck of ranged VVabove the top of rsaid support, the submarine, of an exposed non-recoil. gun hoisting means associated with said support associated With said Water-tight support, for raising and lowering the'fgun, means 'megmgfor raising the gun above the top 0f' for hoisting ammunition to the top of said 5 said support and means forsnpplying amsupport, and apiatformarranged above the `15 p v munition to the top 0f Sadgupporh n top of said support and'ixed With respect 15. `The gun mounting for submarines, t0 the gunu comprising the combination with' a Water- In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

tight support extending Well above the deck Y i 10 of the submarine, of an exposed gun arl i LAWRENCE Y. SPVEAR.v 

